TikTok is working on a feature that would let users send and receive money through direct messages, according to a report from Bloomberg.
The report says code referencing the feature was found in the latest version of TikTok’s iPhone app. If it eventually launches, the tool would use TikTok Pay, a payment system the company already uses in some Southeast Asian countries for TikTok Shop purchases.
Bloomberg reports that the code includes references to allowing payments to be sent to other users with messages attached. Recipients would have the option to “tap to accept” a payment before a set expiration date. Senders would receive transaction updates through push notifications and their inbox.
In a statement to Bloomberg, a TikTok spokesperson said the feature is in early development and isn’t currently being tested in any markets. That means the company could still decide not to launch the peer-to-peer payment tool.
The move would expand TikTok’s existing in-app payment options. Users can already buy products through TikTok Shop and purchase virtual coins to send gifts during livestreams. Peer-to-peer payments would also put TikTok alongside other social platforms that let users send money to one another, such as Facebook Messenger and X, formerly Twitter.
Earlier this year, TikTok finalized a $14 billion deal to separate its U.S. operations and avoid a potential ban. ByteDance, the Chinese company that owns TikTok, retained a stake in the U.S. business, while a group of U.S. companies and other investors took majority control.
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